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In 2014, a small study found that some people may, in fact, develop strain-specific immunity to Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria causing Lyme disease. “Once infected with a particular strain of the disease-causing bacteria, humans appear to develop immunity against that strain that can last six to nine years,” the authors wrote. [1] Ask the Lyme doc.
However, they also pointed out that at least 16 different strains of the Lyme disease bacterium have been shown to infect humans in the United States, so being bitten by a tick carrying a different strain of the disease is entirely possible.
Whether a person can develop immunity to Lyme disease is still unknown. Further studies are needed. There are certainly many instances of people contracting the infection more than once or redeveloping symptoms.
Re-infected through a new tick bite
There may be several reasons for this. A person can become re-infected with a new tick bite. Nadelman and colleagues described 17 patients who were re-infected multiple times with Lyme disease. [1]
Persistent infection
Lyme disease symptoms can resurface in a person who has already been treated for the infection. Findings from both animal and human studies suggest that B. burgdorferi can cause a persistent infection. [2,3] Some doctors, however, dismiss the idea of a persistent infection. [4]
Lyme disease co-infections
Lastly, Lyme disease symptoms may return due to untreated co-infections. As of 2020, scientists have discovered 15 other diseases transmitted by ticks. [5] The list consists of viral, bacterial and parasitic infections and includes:
- Anaplasmosis
- Babesiosis
- Borrelia mayonii
- Borrelia miyamotoi
- Bourbon virus
- Colorado tick fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Heartland virus
- Powassan disease
- Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
- STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness)
- Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF)
- Tularemia
- 364D Rickettsiosis
Editor’s note: This is part of a Ask the Lyme doc series. For the purposes of transparency, I’m an author on the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) treatment guidelines, and I believe that symptoms can be due to a persistent infection in some patients. [6,7]
Related Articles:
Could Borrelia miyamotoi infections explain persistent symptoms in Lyme disease patients?
References:
- C. E. Khatchikian, R. B. Nadelman, J. Nowakowski, I. Schwartz, G. P. Wormser, D. Brisson. Evidence for Strain-Specific Immunity in Patients Treated for Early Lyme Disease. Infection and Immunity, 2014; 82 (4): 1408 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.01451-13
- Sapi E, Kasliwala RS, Ismail H, et al. The Long-Term Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi Antigens and DNA in the Tissues of a Patient with Lyme Disease. Antibiotics (Basel). 2019;8(4).
- Middelveen MJ, Sapi E, Burke J, et al. Persistent Borrelia Infection in Patients with Ongoing Symptoms of Lyme Disease. Healthcare (Basel). 2018;6(2).
- Shapiro ED. Repeat or persistent Lyme disease: persistence, recrudescence or reinfection with Borrelia Burgdorferi? F1000Prime Rep. 2015;7:11.
- Diseases Transmitted by Ticks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/index.html Last accessed 12/12/20.
- Cameron D, Gaito A, Harris N, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the management of Lyme disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2004;2(1 Suppl):S1-13.
- Cameron DJ, Johnson LB, Maloney EL. Evidence assessments and guideline recommendations in Lyme disease: the clinical management of known tick bites, erythema migrans rashes and persistent disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2014;12(9):1103-1135.
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About 30 years ago, after 1- 1/2 years I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I took all the antibiotics and other than some loss of sight lung damage and arthritis I was fine. Until last November when I was diagnosed with an enlarged nodule on my parathyroid. I finally had the surgery in March to remove it. Everything went back to normal but I’m not. While waiting to undergo surgery I Iost over 22% of bone density. With all the leeching of my calcium out of my bones, teeth and brain is it possible that I disturbed any Lyme disease that may have been in crevices of my brain? I am back to all the same Lyme symptoms . My infectious disease doctor told me you never really get rid of all of it. Worst is the sweating. My Dr. said my body is going through menopause again. I have had vertigo since before surgery, now it’s much worse. Sorry this was so long. I was trying to be thorough.
I am sorry to hear how challenging your years has been. I have patients who have benefited from retreatment and some that don’t. You might find it interesting to read about Babesia, a tick borne illness that can mimic menopause and cannot be treated with doxycycline. read https://danielcameronmd.com/sweats-may-be-a-sign-of-babesia/
10 Years ago at age 53, I had Lyme disease and began to feel the benefits of the first dose of antibiotics litterally with in the first hour.
The symptoms had been severe, all my joints felt painfully arthritic, and I was floored with a severe flu and headaches.
In 4 days of antibiotics I was symptom free.
I finished out the full 21 days of antibiotics and never looked back…
This year, at age 63, I had five ticks on my hips, colarbone and back.
The ticks went unnoticed for two days as I now wear glasses and didn’t notice them.
Having the time to drill in and Transfer the bacteria overtime seems to be a key factor at least for me. It has been in disease severity.
Three of the ticks caused the classic bull’s-eye redness pattern, and the other two ticks made a bright red blotch around their Bite.
My doctor put me on antibiotics before any symptoms showed. At first side effect reactions to the antibiotics, but then I realized that all of my complaints were the symptoms of Lyme disease.
Looking at the list, it was nearly every single symptom. I realize that there are 16 to 18 different strains of the Lyme bacteria and my impression is, I may have gotten five new strains into my body.
This infection has been very severe, every single symptom on the checklist, especially horrible arthritic like joint pain fluttering in my heart, including a mini stroke and hypersensitivity to where every invasion into my body over the last five or six years, was painful from cavities filled in my mouth to my repaired hernia operation, which has never given me problems. Even the stent I had put in my heart five years ago had pain, hurt.
Even fire ant bites over the last few years although long healed, all hurt again it was as if the bacteria woke up every injury to my body for the last five years…
At one point, my left knee locked up and I’ve never had a knee problem in my life, and I stretch my knees along with my whole body every morning and every night for most of my life… I have played many years of sports and have always continued stretching in all the off-seasons.
Every stretch hurt. I never did have a fever or any flu like symptoms with this second infection,but every other symptom was a big checkmark.
At one point, my doctor prescribed a steroid for me and that helped my knee to feel better, and I honestly do feel like I get slightly better every day but at this rate it may take years.
At a follow up visit with my doctor I asked “now after the antibiotics and steroids, what am I supposed to do just continue suffering ?” and she said no you get better, but some people get better in weeks and some people in months and some people have long-haul symptoms for years and everybody’s different so far after a few months, I am at least in the months category. I hope not the years.
I wish there would be more research done on this horrible disease, but I can share this: whenever I go hiking it is my custom to spray insect repellent around my legs just above my knees to keep ticks from climbing up and then I also pick up my shirt and spray on my skin on my stomach, so that if the ticks get past the first layer of inspect spray, they will hit the next layer at my skin, but on the last day of my recent hiking up in the northeast, I said to myself, I don’t need that poison on my skin. I’ve had no ticks the first few days – oh boy was I wrong, I really needed that poison on my skin because these five ticks have done serious damage to me.
I hope to recover but it isn’t happening quickly – as I’m writing this from the hospital where I had a mini stroke last night and the doctors saying it could have been triggered by blood clots created by Lyme disease…
I sincerely hope that successful work is done on the research and treatment of Lyme disease as I hear horrible stories about it – Good luck to you if you get Lyme disease…